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Additional webcams featuring the Center’s pack of wolves are now online

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Two new live webcams featuring the pack of ambassador wolves at the International Wolf Center are now featured on explore.org.

Explore.org is the world’s leading philanthropic live nature cam network and documentary film channel. Their website features hundreds of live streaming cameras focused on nature and animals across the world. The International Wolf Center maintains a pack of ambassador wolves at its interpretive center in Ely, Minnesota.

“Our followers passionately observe our pack through webcams on our website, so we know there’s a great interest in this twenty-four hour access,” said the Center’s Executive Director, Grant Spickelmier. “By adding two cameras to the explore.org network, we expect we’ll be able to educate even more people about the natural behaviors of wolves.”

“[The new wolf camera] is one of a kind,” said Charles Annenberg Weingarten, founder of explore.org. “It can’t be more sacred and I’m so excited to be a part of the wolf pack. Welcome wolves to the explore.org family!”

Explore.org’s cameras are operated by a network of volunteers, so viewers will be able to consistently observe wolves as operators zoom in and/or move the cameras around the wolf enclosure. In addition, representatives from the Center will be online at set times every week to answer questions from viewers on explore.org‘s commenting boards.

“It’s incredibly hard to observe wild wolves,” Spickelmier said. “Cameras like these make it possible for anyone, anywhere, to watch our Ambassador pack and learn about wolf behavior. This effort fits in very well with our education-based mission.”

A microphone is also part of the experience, making it possible for viewers to hear the wolves howl. Mornings and evenings are typically when the wolves are most active.

“We’re appreciative of the work that the explore.org team has done to make this partnership happen,” Spickelmier said. “Without their generosity and their expertise, this wouldn’t have been possible.”

To see the cameras, visit https://explore.org/livecams/international-wolf-center/wolf-cam-2

The International Wolf Center advances the survival of wolf populations by teaching about wolves, their relationship to wild lands and the human role in their future. For more information about the International Wolf Center, visit wolf.org.

Free WolfLink programs, webinars, storytimes and reading resources are part of the efforts undertaken by the Center, which will remain closed temporarily

Additional free educational programming about wolves is being offered by the International Wolf Center. These programs come as more students from across the United States find themselves at home instead of the classroom to fight the spread of COVID-19.

Efforts include free webinars, complete lists of resources and even morning preschool storytimes on Facebook Live.

“We know there’s great demand for opportunities to learn from home,” said the Center’s Executive Director, Grant Spickelmier. “We’re excited we can step up to help. It’s because of our support from members and donors across the world that we’re able to offer these programs at no charge.”

The programs are vital to the Center’s efforts to spread science-based wolf information during the current pandemic. The Center’s location in Ely, Minnesota, will remain temporarily closed to the public. No reopening date has been set yet.

The Center will continue to monitor the situation and will post updates to its website at wolf.org.

“Our staff is eager to keep teaching the world about wolves, even as our facility in Ely is closed,” Spickelmier said.

Friday pack update webinarAfter a successful launch last week, the International Wolf Center will be offering another free Wolf Care webinar this Friday at 9 a.m. Central Time and every Friday this spring.

To watch the weekly webinars, watch wolf.org for the most recent link. Links for these webinars are posted near the top of the homepage.

A free download of Zoom software may be required.

These webinars feature updates on the Center’s pack of ambassador wolves.

Books and videos listWant your kids to stop playing video games for a while? The Center’s outreach department compiled a complete list of age-appropriate videos and books. That list can be found on the Center’s website at https://bit.ly/wolfbooks.

Included are publicly available videos on PBS and YouTube, plus book recommendations for preschoolers, elementary school students and middle school students through adults.

Wolf storytimeFor our youngest pack members – the Center’s education staff will be holding a weekly preschool storytime featuring an appropriate wolf book. These broadcasts will be held on Mondays at 10 a.m. Central Time with the first one on Monday, March 30. These will be shown on the Center’s Facebook page through Facebook Live. That page can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/InternationalWolfCenter/.

Closing updateThe International Wolf Center’s location in Ely, Minnesota, is temporarily closed due to COVID-19.

The Center will continue to monitor the situation and will post updates to its website at wolf.org.

Wolf CareA small team of dedicated staff members are continuing to provide care for the Center’s ambassador wolves even during the closing.

How can you help?Additional programming efforts such as these come with considerable expense. While the Center takes on these efforts, it is doing so as its interpretive center in Ely, Minnesota, which is closed to the public because of the coronavirus. The interpretive center accounts for a significant share of the Center’s revenue every year and its indefinite closing presents a unique challenge.

“We are looking for additional supporters to join us now as we continue to push out free programming to those who need it,” Spickelmier said. “We need our whole pack working together to face these challenges.”

Membership in the Center is also available and includes a number of benefits, including an annual subscription to International Wolf magazine. To learn more about membership, visit https://wolf.org/support/membership/.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – In compliance with the executive order of Governor Walz, the International Wolf Center in Ely, Minnesota is now closed to the public through at least the weekend of April 5 to help reduce the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. As it makes this difficult decision, the Center is adding free online programming over the coming weeks to help support the increasing share of the world’s residents shut in their homes.

The Center had announced earlier this week that it would remain open on weekends, but the Governor’s order released today prompted the Center to revisit that decision. While the Center will be closed, employees will still be on site seven days a week to provide care for the ambassador wolves.

“The health and safety of our visitors, staff and animals is our top priority,” said the Center’s executive director, Grant Spickelmier.

While the Center’s location in Ely will be closed, a big effort is underway to build additional online tools to educate the world about wolves. Free educational programming begins this week with a weekly webinar focused on the Center’s Exhibit Pack of wolves planned for 9 a.m. every Friday. This free weekly program will be ongoing for the foreseeable future.

“This kind of free educational programming fits perfectly with our efforts to teach the world about wolves and gives people stuck in their homes something positive to focus on right now” Spickelmier said. “We’re especially thankful to all of our supporters over the years. Their contributions mean that we’re able to offer this kind of programming without charge to people across the world.”

The Center maintains a pack of ambassador wolves at the interpretive center in Ely, Minnesota that are used to teach the public. For many years, people who cannot get to the Center have been able to look in on the wolves thanks to live webcams that broadcast seven days a week along with occasional fee based webinars.

The new webinars the Center is offering for free starting Friday will provide updates about the pack of ambassador wolves from Wolf Care staff and allow viewers to ask questions live. They will be held every Friday at 9 a.m. Central Time. Links to each week’s webinar will be posted on wolf.org, the Center’s social media channels and to those who subscribe to email updates at https://wolf.org/subscribe/.

https://wolf.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/white-iwc-logo-1.png00Carissa Winterhttps://wolf.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/white-iwc-logo-1.pngCarissa Winter2020-03-17 15:22:552020-03-17 15:43:40International Wolf Center in Ely, Minnesota, will close through at least the weekend of April 5; free online programming planned

Event featuring Dr. Yadvendradev Jhala is hosted by the International Wolf Center

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – One of the world’s leading experts on Asiatic lions, wolves and tigers in India will present a public program on Tuesday, March 17, in St. Paul, Minnesota. Dr. Yadvendradev Jhala is a leading researcher on predator biology in India. His public program will address the three animals and their prey, as well as human-wolf conflicts. The event is hosted by the International Wolf Center.

The presentation will be held in the meeting room at Summit Brewing Company, 910 Montreal Circle in St. Paul. There is a suggested donation of $10 for admission and seating is limited. Doors open at 6:15 p.m. Pre-show entertainment featuring students from the Mactir Academy of Irish Dance to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day will run from 6:30 to 7 p.m. Dr. Jhala’s presentation will begin at 7 p.m. A cash bar will be available.

Dr. Jhala is a faculty member at the Wildlife Institute of India. He is also a research associate of the Genetics Program in the National Museum of Natural History at the Smithsonian Institute and is the IUCN wolf specialist for India. He is a leading expert and influential thinker on aspects of human-wolf conflicts. In addition to studying wolves, lions and tigers, Dr. Jhala is also tracking snow leopards.

“We’re excited and proud that we can offer this kind of programming featuring an international expert,” said Grant Spickelmier, the executive director of the International Wolf Center. “Dr. Jhala is one of the world’s leading authorities on wolves, tigers and lions. We’re looking forward to learning more from him about wolves and other predators in India and how they are working towards successful predator-human coexistence.”

For more information about the program, contact the Center’s communications director, Chad Richardson, by email at chad@wolf.org.

https://wolf.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/JhalaPhoto1-SB-1.jpg364648Carissa Winterhttps://wolf.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/white-iwc-logo-1.pngCarissa Winter2020-03-03 07:36:482020-03-17 15:46:06Internationally renowned wolf, lion and tiger researcher from India to present public program in St. Paul on March 17

Her battle with cancer ended peacefully on Tuesday

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Luna, an ambassador wolf at the International Wolf Center in Ely, Minnesota, was euthanized Tuesday, Nov. 26.

The 7-year-old wolf had undergone surgery in March 2019 to remove a mass on her left neck area. The biopsy report at that time was inconclusive, but the return of the growth in July led to a second biopsy with a diagnosis of an aggressive spindle cell sarcoma. The July surgery revealed several deep masses embedded in the muscle behind her shoulder blade. Extracting those masses was not advised by the Center’s trusted and longtime veterinarians. Staff prepared to manage Luna to the best quality of life possible despite the terminal diagnosis.

Wolf Care staff closely monitored her and watched in awe as Luna continued to be an active member of the retirement pack at the Center. When Wolf Care staff assessed Luna on Tuesday, she had a good appetite and took her medication, but the mass had begun to rupture, and her pain response was significantly increased. The decision was made to euthanize her based on a recommendation from the veterinarian in Ely.

“When the Center adopted Luna, she had some underlying health conditions that resulted in surgical intervention to provide a plate for a fractured femur,” said the Center’s wolf curator, Lori Schmidt. “At the time, surgeons didn’t think she would make it, but she proved them wrong. She was resilient and showed us the tenacity of wildlife that leads to animals’ survival in the natural world.”

Luna joined the Center’s pack in 2012. She was representative of the Great Plains subspecies of wolves and is a black color phase, believed to be found in less than 5 percent of the population in Minnesota. She and her packmates at the Center have educated tens of thousands of visitors at the Center’s exhibit in Ely, and thousands more around the world through regular YouTube videos, wolf logs and webcams.

In an effort to learn more about Luna’s condition, she was transported to the University of Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostics Lab for a necropsy. Those results will further educate staff as the Center continues to manage the five remaining wolves at the Center’s facility in Ely.

When she was in the exhibit pack between 2012-2016, she was known for displays of dominance, intense possession and assertive behavior. That intensity was heightened during weekly feedings and further increased when the 2016 pups were adopted. These behaviors proved too challenging for the new pups, so Luna was moved into the retirement enclosure in 2016. Initially, staff thought her behaviors were personality driven, but when she was moved her into the retirement enclosure, she became calm and rarely showed the snapping defensive dominance that she had in the main pack. After more research and consultation with specialists, staff believed that her behavior was likely a proactive move to defend herself and her vulnerable condition.

Luna was welcoming of the staff’s individual attention, especially after staff received advanced training on body work techniques that made her more active and improved her physical activity.

“This is an incredibly sad day at the International Wolf Center,” said Chad Richardson, the Center’s administrator. “We know that many of our members closely followed Luna over the years. When her cancer diagnosis was confirmed, we heard from many of those members and followers who were so saddened to get the news. To all of you: Thank you for your kind words about Luna. They’re all being shared with our Wolf Care staff who, as you could imagine, have taken this news especially hard.”

The International Wolf Center advances the survival of wolf populations by teaching about wolves, their relationship to wildlands and the human role in their future. For more information about the International Wolf Center, visit wolf.org.

Grant Spickelmier will join the pack in January

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – With 25 years of experience in wildlife education and zoo leadership in Minnesota and Oregon, Grant Spickelmier will take the helm of the International Wolf Center as executive director in mid-January.

Spickelmier comes from Oregon Zoo in Portland after eight years where he was curator of conservation learning, and previously from the Minnesota Zoo in Apple Valley where he served in multiple roles, including assistant director of education.

“Grant brings the skills and experience the Center needs to help spark public awareness and dialogue based on powerful science-based wolf education,” said Center Board Chair Nancy jo Tubbs. He’ll lead a staff of about 16 at the interpretive center in Ely,MN and the organization’s Minneapolis office, where he will be based.

“I’m honored to be chosen to lead the world’s pre-eminent wolf organization,” Spickelmier said. “Since I first heard a wolf howl in northern Minnesota, I’ve been hooked on helping this species recover in the United States. At the Minnesota Zoo, I created programs about wolves for kids and adults. I led travel programs in Alaska and with the International Wolf Center in Minnesota.”

Spickelmier’s work has focused on fundraising, strategic planning, partnerships, exhibit development, and management of large teams of staff and volunteers. He co-wrote the WolfQuest internet game used at the Center, and it is considered the premier wolf simulation game with 900,000 online players.

“I hope to continue building the Center’s leadership team successfully led by Administrator Chad Richardson in recent months, as we work to increase public understanding of how wolves and humans can successfully coexist,” Spickelmier said.

He was chosen by the Center’s board in partnership with a Minneapolis-based firm, CohenTaylor Executive Search, which conducted an extensive national search.

The International Wolf Center, founded in 1985, is known worldwide as the premier source for wolf information and education. The mission of the Center is to advance the survival of wolf populations by teaching about wolves, their relationship to wildlands and the human role in their future. The Center educates through its website, its ambassador wolves, museum exhibits, educational outreach programs, International Wolf magazine, and a beautiful interpretive center in Ely, Minnesota.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Cameras and signs will soon be posted along the Trezona Trail in Ely to warn users of the trail about recent wolf encounters in the area. On Thursday, Aug. 15, a dog out for a run with its owner was attacked by a wolf at about 8:30 p.m. A report was made to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) by the dog’s owner, detailing his encounter with the wolf near the Shagawa Lake boat landing.

“As I was running, I heard a yelp from my dog behind me,” Ely resident Ted Schlosser said. “I turned around and saw that a wolf had him down on the ground. I screamed extremely loudly at it and it took off running with my dog into the woods. I immediately started chasing after him and screaming as loudly as I could. I had gotten into the woods about a hundred feet and my dog was free. The wolf was still standing there about twenty feet away. I took my dog out of the woods immediately. I was still about three-quarters of a mile from my pickup, so I proceeded to walk back to it. I had my other three dogs with me as well (all small dogs). After walking a few hundred yards, the wolf ran up to us again. He came close to the edge of the trail (about 50 feet away from us). I screamed at him again. We continued walking. A few hundred more feet, and he ran up to the edge of the trail again. I grabbed a large stick to carry and I yelled at him again. He started barking at me. He continued barking for quite a while and had a high tail posture.”

Lori Schmidt, the International Wolf Center wolf curator in Ely, manages the wolf helpline, a resource for local residents to report wolf issues and receive advice and consultations with local wildlife management agencies such as the DNR and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Wildlife Services office located in Grand Rapids.

“As a wolf curator with over 33 years of wolf behavioral experience, I know that barks are a threat display, and a high tail means the animal is confident, and it may indicate aggressive arousal,” Schmidt said. “Wolves with low, tucked tails are more fearful and may be easier to deter. This animal may be food conditioned towards people. If anyone has issues with wolves on the Trezona or anywhere in the Ely area, contact the Wolf Helpline at 365-4695 ext. 134. If you have a concern of an imminent threat, calls should be made to the local conservation officer or 911.”

The dog was treated at the Ely vet clinic with a single wound on his right shoulder.

Schmidt will coordinate with Vermilion Community College’s Wildlife Society Chapter to deploy wildlife cameras and signs, identify the patterns of wolf presence and attempt to deploy negative conditioning techniques to deter the wolf from the area. The fall season can be particularly problematic for wolf issues as the presence of pups in a pack can create a lot of food pressure. This may leave some younger animals to go hungry, scavenge or disperse and become loners in search of another wolf and a new territory. Wolf pups are very mobile this time of the year, so if this wolf is associated with a pack and pups, the chances are they will move on relatively quickly.

It is important that human-related food supplies such as garbage, dog food, even remnants of bird or deer feeders are removed, as they can serve as an attractant for wolves.

The Voyageur National Park wolf project recently posted a notice on its Facebook page about a yearling male wolf that was collared on May 23 as a 60-pound yearling with adequate fat reserves, but died of starvation on Aug. 9 weighing 31 pounds. Other times of the year when wolf-human interactions can be more intense are during the winter breeding season, January to March and the pup denning season, April to May.

Effective Dec. 19, 2014, Minnesotans can no longer legally kill a wolf except in the defense of human life, and wolves are a federally protected species managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The wolf is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, which does allow for control measures from the USDA Wildlife Services program. In the case of the Trezona Trail, the area has a high concentration of human use and would not be conducive to trapping wolves and the USDA abides by depredation management zones, with the Trezona Trail area being north of the line for removal for domestic livestock depredation.

Wolf attacks on humans are extremely rare, and we know of no such attacks in the Superior National Forest even though wolves have never been been exterminated there. Minnesota DNR Large Carnivore Specialist, Dan Stark, offers recommendations to deal with wolf issues.

Dog Safety

People with pets should avoid area until time passes or no additional wolf observations/incidents occur

Keep dogs on leash, so wolves are less likely to approach people

Don’t allow dogs to run loose or range away, keep in close contact and control

Don’t try to intervene if dog is actively being attacked

Carry bear/pepper spray – It can be used to deter attack or spray both if wolf is actively attacking dog. The dog will need some recovery time, but the effects of bear spray are temporary and non-lethal

People

Don’t run, but act aggressively, stepping toward the wolf and yelling or clapping your hands if it tries to approach.

Do not turn your back toward an aggressive wolf, but continue to stare directly at it. If you are with a companion and more than one wolf is present place yourselves back to back and slowly move away from the wolves. Retreat slowly while facing the wolf and act aggressively.

Stand your ground if a wolf attacks you and fight with any means possible (use sticks, rocks, ski poles, fishing rods or whatever you can find).

Use air horns or other noise makers.

Use bear spray

Climb a tree if necessary

Minnesota’s most recent wolf population estimate within Minnesota’s wolf range was 2,655 wolves and 465 wolf packs during the winter of 2017-2018. The estimate is statistically unchanged from the previous winter, according to the Minnesota DNR. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service published a rule in March 2019 that proposes the delisting of gray wolves from threatened or endangered status under the Endangered Species Act in the contiguous United States.

The International Wolf Center will continue to provide information as this delisting process progresses.

The International Wolf Center advances the survival of wolf populations by teaching about wolves, their relationship to wildlands and the human role in their future. For more information about the International Wolf Center, visit wolf.org.

Possible rupture of mast cell tumors is likely the main cause.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Aidan, an 11-year-old ambassador wolf at the International Wolf Center in Ely, Minnesota, died on Wednesday August 14th. He was the longtime pack leader at the Center, earning the role in 2011.

Aidan had been taken to the Ely Veterinary Clinic the day before for a medical exam and surgical removal of a mast cell tumor on his neck. The removal of this single mass was a success, but further diagnostic tests were done to understand the depth of his condition. He was recovering from the surgery, but he died the following morning. Wolf Curator, Lori Schmidt noted, “His last morning was spent with two core wolf care staff and very calm social interactions. His level of trust and social bonding with the staff was there until the end.”

This was not Aidan’s first bout with these tumors. He had two surgeries in 2017 and one in February of 2019 to remove tumors. Immune suppressants were used to slow the growth of these mast cells, but in the end weren’t enough to keep the tumors from growing.

Aidan joined the Center’s pack in 2008 with his littermate Denali, both Rocky Mountain subspecies of wolves. Aidan was moved into the retirement enclosure in the summer of 2018.

He and his packmates have educated tens of thousands of visitors at the Center’s exhibit in Ely, as well as thousands of people throughout the world through regular YouTube videos, wolf logs and webcams.

In an effort to learn more about Aidan’s condition, he was transported to the University of Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostics Lab for a necropsy. Those results will further educate staff as the Center continues to manage the remaining wolves at the Center’s facility in Ely.

“This news hits us all especially hard,” said Chad Richardson, the Center’s administrator. “Aidan’s prior six years as the pack leader taught us staff members and the public so much about pack leaders and their important role. We were able to watch him take on the leadership position and then looked on in awe and sadness when his fellow pack members began testing him in 2017 and 2018. Moving him to retirement was the right decision, but none of us were ready to see him pass away within a year of that move.

“Our Wolf Care staff did everything they could to make his time in retirement as comfortable as possible. Our staff tried every possible treatment that our veterinarian suggested. Sadly, nothing worked.

The International Wolf Center advances the survival of wolf populations by teaching about wolves, their relationship to wildlands and the human role in their future. For more information about the International Wolf Center, visit wolf.org.

https://wolf.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/white-iwc-logo-1.png00Carissa Winterhttps://wolf.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/white-iwc-logo-1.pngCarissa Winter2019-08-14 13:45:032019-12-19 10:33:19Aidan, an ambassador wolf at the International Wolf Center, and former pack leader passed away on 8/14/19.

Wolves at Our Door goes to states with rebounding wolf numbers

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Wolves have undeniably begun to reclaim portions of their historic range in the western United States. As their numbers in the western U.S. quickly grew after being reintroduced at Yellowstone National Park 24 years ago, education about these predators hasn’t always kept pace. The International Wolf Center is reaching out to help.

Without question, a great many organizations based in the western United States have worked to educate the public about wolves. But this problem is greater than any one organization can solve, so the International Wolf Center is expanding its popular Wolves at Our Door program to those western states.

The program educates more than 15,000 students in Minnesota every year. Now, the Center is teaching partnering organizations how to launch the program and share it with schools in their states. Two training sessions have been held with these organizations, including one in Ely, Minnesota, and Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, from June 10-13.

During that session, representatives from the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center in Oregon and Museum and the Sequoia Park Zoo in California were flown to Minneapolis and then driven by the Center to Ely. Over the next three days, those representatives got a full wolf education by retired Wisconsin wolf biologist Dick Thiel, as well as background on the program by the Center’s Outreach Director, Misi Stine. The group returned to the Twin Cities for further education with renowned wolf biologist Dr. Dave Mech, who founded the Center in 1985.

“There’s no question that many of those who live in the western United States have strong opinions about wolves,” said Chad Richardson, the Center’s Administrator. “For some, those opinions aren’t formed from facts but rather are formed from myths and fears. We’re trying to change that with these programs, which are based wholly on science.”

The Center has a unique aim, which is focused on advancing wolf populations by teaching the world about wolves. It presents many sides to the wolf debate during its Wolves at Our Door program and encourages attendees to make up their own minds about wolves, only after hearing the science-based facts.

“As I’ve traveled around Minnesota to present these programs, I’ve found two sources of misunderstanding,” said Stine, the Center’s Outreach Director. “When I speak to school children, their only exposure to wolves has typically been through fairy tales. When I speak to adults, many have formed their opinions based on what they heard in a 20-second newscast or through an exaggerated report on the evening news. So many people just don’t have the facts to support their strong opinions. Hopefully we can continue to fix that.”

Future training sessions are being planned by Stine involving organizations in the western United States.

The Western Wolves at Our Door project is funded with two grants, including one from The Margaret A. Cargill Fund at the Minnesota Community Foundation.

The International Wolf Center advances the survival of wolf populations by teaching about wolves, their relationship to wildlands and the human role in their future. For more information about the International Wolf Center, visit wolf.org

https://wolf.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/white-iwc-logo-1.png00Carissa Winterhttps://wolf.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/white-iwc-logo-1.pngCarissa Winter2019-07-23 08:43:342019-12-19 10:30:18International Wolf Center reaches into the western United States

Event will run from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in Ely

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – The grand opening for the exciting new exhibit at the International Wolf Center is set from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 28, in Ely. The event is free, and the public is invited to come experience the immersive exhibit, titled Discover Wolves!. After a brief welcoming ceremony, the Center’s doors will open to the family-friendly adventure that features wolf howls, northern lights and a simulated airplane ride.

“As the first visitors explored exhibit, it was thrilling to see the smiles on their face,” said Krista Harrington, the interpretive center manager. “The new exhibit brings a creative spark to an educational adventure in the world of the wolf.”

Discover Wolves! was funded in part with a grant from the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources, plus a major commitment from the board of directors at the Center and its donors.

“Planning for the project started four years ago, so to see the wolf den, the science lab and artifacts in place was a magical experience,” said the board’s Chairperson, Nancy jo Tubbs. “It’s more fun than I could have imagined.”

A stunning photo mural leads visitors down a ramp and into the new exhibit space. The mosaic, which looks from afar like a wolf resting, is made up of thousands of small images. The closer one gets, the less like a wolf the mural looks, as individual images reveal themselves. Once you step back, those individual images fade and the bigger picture of the wolf is again visible.

Just inside the new exhibit hall, a wolf den is built into a rocky cave. Visitors are able to step up to the den and look inside to see video footage of real wolves in a real den.

In another display, the distance covered by a wolf on a given day is highlighted on a map of the northern United States. The distance, 30 miles, is but a small track across the vast north country. That illuminated track grows considerably when visitors press the second button, showing how far a wolf can travel in a month (600 miles). The third and final track shows what 3,000 miles looks like on a map of North America—the distance wolves can travel in a year. The display also notes wolves sometimes travel much farther, up to 8,000 miles a year, if prey is scarce.

Nearby, a simulated airplane gives visitors a chance to see how researchers track wolves from the air. Once a guest takes a seat in the cockpit and pushes a button, the adventure begins. Four screens encircle the guest, making it appear as though he or she is in the cockpit of a small airplane. The plan takes off from an ice-covered lake in Ely with Shannon Barber-Meyer riding in the front seat next to the pilot. Barber-Meyer, a wolf biologist with the United States Geological Survey, explains how she uses radio telemetry to track wolves in the wild. Near the end of the adventure, Barber-Meyer and the visitor successfully find the wild pack.

Historic artifacts aim to show how important wolves were to various cultures over time. Included in the display is a stunning hand-beaded mask in the shape of a wolf’s head. The mask was donated to the Center’s founder, Dr. L. David Mech, who in turn donated it to the Center for display.

As visitors leave the exhibit, they’re encouraged to take a quick 10-question quiz about wolves to see how much they learned from the discovery adventure.

The International Wolf Center advances the survival of wolf populations by teaching about wolves, their relationship to wildlands and the human role in their future. For more information about the International Wolf Center, visit wolf.org.